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Jacksonville Jaguars superfan surprised with party for 106th birthday

Muriel McGowan worked as a secretary at the Empire State Building in New York City, which was built 15 years after she was born.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Muriel McGowan, who is the self-proclaimed No. 1 Jacksonville Jaguars fan, celebrated her 106th birthday Friday with a surprise celebration featuring personalized gifts from the team.

McGowan, originally from New Jersey, has called Vicar’s Landing in Ponte Vedra Beach home since the mid 1990s. Right around the same time when the Jacksonville Jaguars started its first season in 1995. 

She's been a huge Jags fan since that time, and says she's particularly fond of the team’s quarterback.

Credit: FCN
Muriel McGowan

After graduating from high school during the Great Depression, McGowan worked as a secretary at the Empire State Building in New York City, which was built 15 years after she was born.

RELATED: Antarctic explorer and Navy veteran turns 102 years old in Atlantic Beach

She soon met her future husband who was attending the College of William and Mary and they married upon his graduation. They relocated to Florida following her husband’s retirement from AT&T and were married for 60 years. They had two children together.

McGowan says she enjoys daily bingo, reading, gardening, strawberry ice cream and water aerobics.

RELATED: Stories of Service: Local WWII veteran turns 100 in July

Credit: FCN
Muriel McGowan

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